South Devons Newsletter January 2017

SOUTH DEVON HERD BOOK SOCIETY Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ. Tel: 01392 447494 Fax: 01392 447495

www.sdhbs.org.uk

info@sdhbs.org.uk

PATRON: HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES

NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2017 CONTENTS: Performance Championships Spring Show & Sale West Country PGI status AGM accommodation TB Compensation Badger control Wales TB Consultation

Schmallenberg; new members 2 Show dates; diary 3 Intro membership; calendars 6 Pat Rickett Cup 7 Young Handler Competition 8 Cattle for Sale 9 And finally 10 Linda’s Trophy

10 11 12 12 12 13 15 15

Dear Member A very happy and healthy New Year to you all!

Before you move away from the front page of this newsletter, please would you take a moment or two to complete Liz’s contact information form and then to return it to her so that we can be sure of reaching you!

Also on this form is a tick box to opt out of receiving pedigree certificates, if that is your wish. (Of course pedigree details are available for all to see on line, and you can go back through generations further than are printed on our standard certificate.) We will continue to post certificates unless you tell us otherwise.

The Executive Committee would also encourage you to submit your birth notifications, registrations and weights online – it usually helps to reduce office time and to free up resources for other work. Please let us know if you would like an online password and ID. Sale entry forms for the Spring Show & Sale at Exeter are available upon request from the office, and the closing date will be Friday 24th February. The Schedule is inside.

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The date and venue of the Midland Club Sale are being decided as I write, and will be announced on the website as soon as we know. Stratford Livestock Market which has provided the venue for many years is now under development plans, and is no longer available.

Enclosed with this newsletter, for those regions where Council vacancies will arise at the AGM, there is a letter inviting members to vote by secret ballot for their chosen nominee. It might seem mildly ridiculous to have to do this in regions where there is an equality of nominations to vacancies, but by giving members the opportunity to vote we are adhering strictly to our Articles of Association. At the AGM there will be the opportunity to change the relevant Article – to save on paperwork next time around, and to make our administration a bit more straightforward. Thank you for bearing with us in this.

Thank you to those members who have submitted their Journal adverts to me in good time, and please may I ask those who have adverts ‘in the pipeline’ to let me have the information as soon as possible. Once I have them all together, I can submit them to our printers – the sooner the better – giving me more time to concentrate on the Journal content.

It is the time of year when we ask for nominations for the Linda Turpie Rounsevell Memorial Trophy, and a form is at the back of this newsletter. Any member may nominate a person who they consider to have made an exceptional contribution to breed promotion in the past year. The award will be made at the AGM on 4th April.

Best wishes, Caroline

PERFORMANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS I have recently had a meeting with the NBA organisers of Beef Expo, which this year is being held at Stoneleigh on Thursday 18th May. They are welcoming us to stage our Performance Championships within this year’s Expo, which is a brilliant opportunity for us to show off the performance characteristics of our breed to a wide commercial audience. We have a prime spot for our specially allocated ring, a ringside breed stand, and dedicated cattle stalling – plus a good deal of publicity. Moreover we are the only breed to have its own show!

As the annual highlight of our technical demonstrations, these Championships really do deserve your support.

A schedule is being put together now, and performance recording herds will be 2

invited to enter cattle aged between one year and two and a half years, bulls and heifers, and to compete for male, female and overall breed championships. Half the points will be based on Breedplan indexes, and half on visual inspection.

It is crucial that we can demonstrate our commercial attributes to the beef industry, and this is the ideal opportunity to do so. I would therefore ask you to help make it a really impressive display by either exhibiting qualifying cattle, or by supporting as a spectator.

SPRING SHOW & SALE EXETER LIVESTOCK CENTRE, MATFORD, EXETER Wednesday 5th April A. B.

C.

D.

E.

All animals to arrive at the Livestock Centre between 11.00 and 14.00 on Tuesday 4th April.

Our veterinary inspector, Duncan Findlay MRCVS, will be carrying out inspections on all animals at the Centre on Tuesday 4th April between the hours of 13.00 and 16.00. If animals are not made ready to be inspected during those times the Society reserves the right to refuse entry to the Sale. Any member who has an animal rejected will have their entry fee refunded.

All measurements (frame scores) of bulls will be shown at the sale. EBVs will be published in the catalogue for cattle from Breedplan recorded herds, and will be on display on each pen as applicable. Bulls registered after 1st January 2010 must be DNA tested for myostatin and the result published in the sale catalogue. If animals are declared polled they must also be DNA tested and the result published in the sale catalogue.

All vendors must be members of a CHeCS health scheme, and are also required to complete a Society Herd health Declaration and submit it with their completed Entry Forms. All Sale animals must either be from CHeCS accredited free herds or the individual animals must be blood tested negative for BVD antigen, and all animals must complete a vaccination course for BVD at least one month prior to the Sale (at least one month prior to service for females). Vendors must also supply their scheme provider’s health status certificate as appropriate. Animals must be from herds that are CHeCS certified risk level one, two or three for Johnes.

Judging will commence at 08.30 on Wednesday 5th April and the Sale will commence at midday.

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ENTRIES CLOSE FRIDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 (Late entries accepted only at the discretion of the Secretary)

Entry Forms are now available from SDHBS, Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ or www.sdhbs.org.uk Tel: 01392 447494, Fax: 01392 447495, e-mail: info@sdhbs.org.uk JUDGE: Mr W H D Scott, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire CLASSES BULLS 1.

Bulls from 12 months to 2 ¾ years of age. This class may be divided.

2.

Bulls over the age of 2 ¾ years (for sale only).

FEMALES 1.

Cow of any age, in calf or with calf at foot.

2.

Heifers under the age of 3 years 3 months on the day of sale, with calf at foot or warranted to calve by that age.

3.

Heifers from 1 year 3 months to 2 years 3 months, in calf, running with the bull or not served.

4.

Heifers from 9 months to 15 months of age.

5.

Non halter-broken females (for sale only), classes as for halter-broken.

NOTES 1.

ENTRY FEES: Bulls £30 + VAT = £36 Females (including calf at foot) £30 + VAT = £36 Animals not forward due to illness but with a veterinary certificate will receive a £10 + VAT reimbursement.

The entry fee, pedigree certificate, herd health declaration, CHeCS health certification, and organic certificate (where applicable) must be enclosed when returning the completed entry form for each animal.

2.

INSPECTION OF ALL ENTRIES Once at the Sales Centre all bulls will be weighed and all halter broken entries inspected and checked for locomotion, temperament, active infection (eg ringworm, etc), and defects (eg jaws, testicles, hernia, etc) by the veterinary inspector. Those found to be not up to standard will be rejected. No entry thus 4

rejected may be sold through the ring and must be removed from the sale pens according to the instructions of the Chief Steward.

Halter-broken and non-halter broken females will also be subject to an inspection, with particular attention paid to jaw, legs, locomotion and feet.

Bulls - Scrotal Circumference: Bulls aged 12-14 months Bulls aged 15-20 months Bulls aged 21-30 months Bulls over 31 months

31 cms 33 cms 35 cms 36 cms

Failure to meet the above measurements will mean automatic rejection from the sale.

3.

DISPERSAL SALES If a member wishes to disperse his/her herd immediately after the Society Sale they may do so provided that it is the whole herd. The cattle are subject to a reduced entry fee of £10 + VAT per animal, which must be enclosed with the entry forms and pedigree certificates and received by the closing date.

Dispersals at Society Sales, although not subject to veterinary inspection, are required to comply with current health standards.

4.

JUDGING Animals bred by the judge will have to be placed by another person. The person so nominated by the Society will not enter the ring until all other animals in the class concerned have been placed by the judge. The person nominated will then enter the ring and place the animal concerned.

If a judge enters an animal for any Society Sale it may be SOLD only, but the entry in the catalogue will remain in the appropriate show class. The animal will be paraded in its class but will be removed at the instruction of the steward before judging.

5.

CATALOGUE INFORMATION Up to 50 words of information may be provided by the Vendors for the catalogue. An additional 30 words may be added at a charge of £0.10/word.

EBVs - all Breedplan recording members will have their animals’ EBVs published in the catalogue as appropriate. Caesarean births - members are reminded that they must declare caesarean births for all entries at Society Sales. Herd health declarations – must be completed by all entrants and submitted to the South Devon office at the same time as 5the completed entry forms. Information

from the completed declaration will be published in the sale catalogue. No other information relating to herd health, or individual animal health status will be published in the catalogue. Vendors may display additional information on the animal pen. The Herd Health Declaration and CHeCS certificates and laboratory test result certificates will be displayed on the animal pen.

6.

TB TESTING All animals are required to have been tested clear of TB within 60 days prior to the Sale date.

7.

AUCTIONEERS Messrs Kivells

WESTCOUNTRY BEEF PGI CONFERENCE A very interesting and quite positive meeting was held at Trethorne, Launceston, Cornwall last week, to discuss the changes being brought to the beef processing sector and the opportunities arising from PGI status West Country beef and lamb (protected geographical indicator).

PGI status was granted two years ago for beef and lamb born, reared and raised in the West Country, thanks largely to 15 years of work by Meat South West, and the better marketing opportunities it brings with it are already been used to advantage in both the home and export markets.

John Dracup from St Merryn Meat (Two Sisters Group) gave an upbeat overview of growing demand for provenance and quality assured beef, with eating quality being increasingly important; and PGI reflecting a turning point in beef production. Differentiation between beef quality is seeing a significant switch away from commodity ‘black & white’ –O grade beef which is best suited to catering markets, to more specific marketing of high quality consistent PGI origin beef.

Members in some areas are facing the loss of their habitual market for bull beef, and will be switching to finishing steers – or selling their beef animals as stores. Finishers are also facing penalties for weights over 380 kg from their processor customers – although there are exceptions. These both are issues which are necessary to resolve if profitability is in the equation!

Simon Marsh, senior beef lecturer at Harper Adams University, gave a detailed presentation at the meeting of intensively finishing steers to 6

replace commodity bull beef – described as ‘tender but tasteless’, and which is losing its market, particularly in the South West.

With some processors, to avoid penalties, carcases need to be under 380 kg, and so silage should be of the best quality (11 ME), and he advised early creep feeding, and a combined 15% protein finishing diet. Sires should be selected for a balance of fat depth and growth rate EBVs, according to Simon.

There are advantages to producing steer beef which include: generally healthier cattle, less stress in grouping, better use of silage, less use of straw, and if the cattle go over time it need not be a problem. However, the margin per cow is likely to be £30 less than for bull beef.

It should go without saying that markets and buying specs do vary, and your own options may be different.

There are encouraging noises coming from the industry, including from beef processors and AHDB, that there will be changes to the carcase grading system as opportunities arise once we are out of Europe. These changes, we are told, will include meat quality assessment – marbling and tenderness, for example. This will be of benefit to breeds such as the South Devon and will highlight qualities that we have been shouting about for years, but without any recompense at the abattoir.

The next big challenge will, of course, be the Brexit negotiations themselves which no-one seems to have much of a clue about yet!

AGM, AUCTION OF PROMISES, & DINNER THE DEVON HOTEL, MATFORD, EXETER TUESDAY 4TH APRIL 2017 As usual, we have block booked rooms at the Devon Hotel for the night of the AGM, and prior to the Spring Show & Sale.

If you would like to reserve one, cost £80 per room, please let us know.

They will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Details of the Dinner Menu will follow in due course.

Please let us know if you would like to make an offer for the Auction of Promises – thank you.

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COMPENSATION FOR BOVINE TB Payable during January 2017

NON PEDIGREE BOVINE Male Age Up to 3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 9 months Over 9 months up to 12 months Over 12 months up to 16 months Over 16 months up to 20 months 20 months and over, non breeding bulls Breeding bulls 20 months and over

Compensation due 228 443

Female Age Up to 3 months Over 3 months up to 6 months Over 6 months up to 9 months Over 9 months up to 12 months Over 12 months up to 16 months Over 16 months up to 20 months 20 months and over, not calved Over 20 months, calved

646 735 910 1,030 1,056 1,092

Compensation due 183 376 539 616 770 951 989 826

PEDIGREE BOVINE Male Age Up to 6 months 6 months up to 12 months Over 12 months up to 24 months 24 months and over

Compensation due * *

Female Age Up to 6 months 6 months up to 12 months Over 12 months up to 24 months 24 months and over (not calved) Calved over 24 months and up to 36 months Calved 36 months and over

3,765 1,912

*Compensation to be determined using individual valuation 8

Compensation due * 2,341 * * 1,876 2,043 *

1,909

BADGER CONTROL MONITORING DEFRA REPORT DECEMBER 2016 Defra have reported on the autumn badger culls, and the full detail can be found on the TB Hub website.

All ten cull areas achieved their minimum number of badgers and did not exceed their maximum number, as follows: AREA

Min

Max

No. removed

1 - Gloucestershire

228

642

252

2 – Somerset

75

544

217

3 – Dorset

390

610

502

4 – Cornwall

588

798

711

5 – Cornwall

730

991

851

6 – Devon

1502

2038

2038

7 – Devon

717

973

833

8 – Dorset

2571

3489

3000

9 – Gloucestershire

1844

2503

1858

10 – Herefordshire

568

770

624

To quote the report, “the results from 2016 indicate that all ten badger control companies have delivered the level of badger removal required to be confident of disease control benefits and that the operations were carried out to a high standard of public safety”.

LICENSED BADGER CONTROL – CONSULTATION A Consultation has now been opened in England which invites comments on proposals for licensed badger control in order ‘to prolong the disease control benefits from a completed licensed cull’.

The objective would be to maintain a local badger population at the size it reaches at the end of a 4-year cull period, and would therefore be applicable in those cull areas. There are many provisos, as one would expect, but continued control of the badger population would avoid an explosion in numbers that has happened in the past decades.

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I would encourage you to respond to this Consultation with your views, and the full detail can be found at www.tbhub.co.uk/tb-policy/england/badger-control/.

The closing date is 10th February 2017.

TB CONSULTATION IN WALES A Consultation in Wales has recently closed, and hopefully there will have been plenty of feedback to the proposals for regional controls on livestock movement and testing regimes.

Undoubtedly management will become significantly tougher for cattle breeders, as will trade between different status areas.

SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS We are hearing reports from Wales and the West of England of lambing problems associated with the Schmallenberg virus, as well as diagnosis of associated symptoms such as sporadic scouring and a drop in milk yield in some dairy herds.

From previous outbreaks of the virus we know that abortions, stillbirths and birth defects can result when pregnant animals are affected.

It is possible that the virus has been circulating in Wales and the west of England during late summer or early autumn, and the mild autumn meant that flying midges were around for longer.

NEW & RESIGNING MEMBERS NEW INTRODUCTORY Region 3 Mr J Hastie, North Down Farm, Pyncombe, Somerset, TA4 2BL Introduced by Pat Pimlott RETIRING Region 6 Mr R G R Mumford, Upper Haselor Farm, Hinton-on-the-Green, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR 11 2QZ RESIGNING Region 2 Mr E C H Jones, Fountain Violet Farm, Kingswear, Devon, TQ6 0DA Region 3 Mr F E Payne, Chesils Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 9PQ 10

SHOW DATES Major Shows Devon County Shropshire County Royal Bath & West Suffolk Royal Cornwall Royal Three Counties Royal Cheshire County Royal Norfolk Great Yorkshire Royal Welsh Other Shows Newark & Notts Rutland Hanbury Liskeard Camborne Stithians Mid Devon Nantwich Yealmpton Launceston Totnes Honiton Blakesley

18th – 20th May 27th May 31st May – 3rd June 31st May – 1st June 8th – 10th June 16th – 18th June 20th – 21st June 28th – 29th June 11th – 13th July 24th – 27th July

13th/14th May 4th June 1st July 8th July 15th July 17th July 22nd July 26th July 26th July 27th July 30th July 3rd August 5th August

NATIONAL SHOW

Camelford Okehampton Gillingham & Shaftesbury Minsterley Holsworthy & Stratton Aylsham Bucks County Kingsbridge Moreton-in-Marsh Dorset County Frome Newbury

9th August 10th August 16th August 19th August?

24th August 28th August 31st August 2nd Sept 2nd Sept 2nd/3rd Sept 9th Sept 16th/17th Sept

DIARY Jan Feb April

23rd/24th 30th 16th 24th 4th 5th 6th

British Cattle Breeders Club conference National Show working group meeting Council meeting, Tiverton Entries close for Spring Show & Sale Annual General Meeting & Auction of Promises Spring Show & Sale, Exeter Region 1 annual meeting 11

May June

20th 25th 18th 8th-10th

Breed Improvement meeting Council meeting Performance Championships, Beef Expo National Show, Royal Cornwall

INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP When you sell cattle privately it would be very much appreciated if you would let the office know so that we can update our records.

If the sale is of pedigree stock please encourage the buyer to transfer the pedigree into their name, and let us know who is paying the transfer fee.

Furthermore, if the buyer is not an existing member of the Society it is an ideal opportunity to involve them by ‘introducing’ them as a member. This only costs you £10, and the person you introduce will pay nothing for a year’s membership during which time he/she can register cattle and enjoy the benefits of membership including receiving all our publications.

MIDLAND CLUB The Midland Club will be presenting a new Cup at their Sale this year, in memory of Pat Rickett who was of course such a huge part of the organisation.

If members would like to contribute to this Cup please would they send their donation to Bob Bostelmann, Rufford, Offley Hay, Eccleshall, Staffs, ST21 6HJ

2017 CALENDARS AT A REDUCED PRICE We have a stock of 2017 calendars which we can now offer at the reduced price of £6.00 (plus p&p). If you have a space on your office wall why not decorate it with some lovely pictures of South Devons, and plan your year at the same time!

TOWERGATE YOUNG HANDLER COMPETITION This year’s Young Handler Competition will be held at the Royal Cornwall Show, this year’s venue for our National Show.

It will be on the Friday morning, 9th June, and will take place in the cattle rings.

There will be a class for 11 to 15 year olds, and for 16 to 25 year olds.

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Council have taken the decision to boost the top prize money this year, and to double the sponsorship which is very kindly offered by Towergate Farm Insurance to £800 – to be used by the winner of the older section towards an overseas trip to see South Devons being used in beef production.

Further qualifying details will be included in newsletters nearer the time.

CATTLE FOR SALE If you would like any animals added please let us know, and always tell us of any sales to help us keep records up to date. Thank you PEDIGREE BULLS Tregondale Hector 5, myo ‘0’ UK383061 500844 Born 20/03/2010 Z Polkinghorne Dynamite, myo ‘0’ UK380867 500607 Born 18/03/2011 AI Z Glebe Inquest UK340654 100418, myo ‘0’ Born 21/04/2014 Carzise Claudius 3 UK380334 700249, myo ‘1’ F94L Born 01/01/2015 Carzise Claudius 4 UK380334 100257, myo ‘0’ Born 12/02/2015 Z Glebe Torr Down 7 UK340654 400428, myo ‘0’ Born 20/02/2015 Z Beckaveans Barnacles, myo ‘0’ UK382190 100554 Born 11/03/2015 Beckaveans Beluga, myo ‘0’ UK382190 600559 Born 22/03/2015

W S Gay & Son Cornwall – Region 1

01872 540419

S Penrose Cornwall – Region 1

07799 808048/ 01209 831668

J Virgin Dorset – Region 3

01258 817171/ 07836 661365

A L Pascoe Cornwall – Region 1

01736 850708/ 07966 573115

A L Pascoe Cornwall – Region 1

01736 850708/ 07966 573115

J Virgin Dorset – Region 3

01258 817171/ 07836 661365

A Brookes/R Bridger Cornwall – Region 1

01840 230749

A Brookes/R Bridger Cornwall – Region 1

01840 230749

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Z Beckaveans Barbel, myo ‘0’ UK382190 300563 Born 29/03/2015 Godworthy Diablo 23, myo ‘0’ UK360143 200876 Born 07/04/2015 Godworthy Diablo 24, myo ‘0’ UK360143 700881 Born 10/04/2015 Godworthy Diablo 26, myo ‘1’ nt821 UK360143 200890 Born 14/04/2015 Godworthy Diablo 28, myo ‘0’ UK360143 700895 Born 17/04/2015 Godworthy Diablo 30, myo ‘0’ UK360143 300898 Born 20/04/2015 Godworthy Eclipse 35, myo ‘1’ nt821 UK360143 400913 Born 05/05/2015

A Brookes/R Bridger Cornwall – Region 1

01840 230749

Mr & Mrs R C Burrough & Sons Devon – Region 2 01404 881479/ 07970 873096 Mr & Mrs R C Burrough & Sons Devon – Region 2 01404 881479/ 07970 873096 Mr & Mrs R C Burrough & Sons Devon – Region 2 01404 881479/ 07970 873096 Mr & Mrs R C Burrough & Sons Devon – Region 2 01404 881479/ 07970 873096 Mr & Mrs R C Burrough & Sons Devon – Region 2 01404 881479/ 07970 873096 Mr & Mrs R C Burrough & Sons Devon – Region 2 01404 881479/ 07970 873096

FEMALES Yearling heifers Bulling heifers

A Brookes/R Bridger Cornwall – Region 1 T Earl Cornwall – Region 1

01840 230749

Mrs D Rusher

01643 841427

07860 356479

HERD FOR SALE The Burrow herd: 16 cows & heifers in-calf; 3 bulling heifers; 6 maiden heifers

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AND FINALLY …

A PROGRESS REPORT ON 2016 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS – (Bridget Jones style!)  My goal for 2016 was to lose just 10 lb … only 25 to go …  Ate salad for dinner – mostly croutons and tomatoes – really just one big round crouton covered with tomato sauce – and cheese. Ok, it was a pizza!  How to prepare tofu – throw it in the bin, grill some meat  I just did a week’s work-out after walking into a spider’s web  I don’t mean to boast, but I finished my 4-day diet food in 3 hours and 20 minutes  A recent study showed that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it (with thanks to the RASE for these)

LINDA TURPIE ROUNSEVELL MEMORIAL TROPHY Members are invited to submit nominations for Linda’s Trophy. This Award is made to the nominated person judged to have contributed the most towards breed promotion in the past year, in whatever capacity that may have been.

The nominations will be judged by Caroline Poultney (Secretary), John Hadley (President), and Ian Rounsevell, and the award will be made at the AGM in April.

Please use the form below to submit your nomination, describing in no more than 300 words why you think your nominee is deserving of the award, by Monday 27th March 2017.

NOMINATION FORM I wish to nominate (name) ………………………………………………………………………………………………… of (address) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. for the Linda Turpie Rounsevell Memorial Trophy Proposer (your name) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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of (address) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Signed (Proposer) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Please tell us, in the box below and in no more than 300 words, why you believe this person should receive the Trophy

Maximum 300 words

Please return this form to: “Linda Turpie Rounsevell Memorial Trophy”, SDHBS, Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ by 27th March 2017 16